Kate Spade Debuts Season 2 of Branded Entertainment Film Series #Missadventure
Kate Spade made their spot-on advertisement debut in November 2014 with the high-end handbag and clothing brand's first episode of their video ad series: #Missadventure.
Aptly titled: The Waiting Game, the 2 minute and 37 second ad portrayed Anna Kendrick's adorable, every-woman mishap when she comes home from shopping, only to realize she's locked out of her New York apartment.
What made this four-part film series unique was its lack of overt advertising for Kate Spade, and its interactive "touchable" feature (within Cinematique's platform), where viewers could click on each clothing item to reveal product details, add to their shopping cart, and, ultimately, make a purchase.
At the helm of this infotainment reinvention is Kate Spade's EVP and CMO, Mary Beech, a Wake Forest alum and former marketing maven at retail brands like Disney Consumer Products, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Ann Taylor.
The customer engagement strategy behind the #Missadventure series, she explained, has more to do with the entertaining portrayal of "interesting women leading interesting lives," and less to do with marketing and selling Kate Spade apparel.
#Missadventure is back for a second season, and includes series veteran Kendrick, as well as Zosia Mamet of Girls (who co-starred in the final episode of season one), Mozart in the Jungle star Lola Kirke, Two Broke Girls star Kat Dennings, and the ageless Marisa Tomei.
Serving up this kind of star power, Kate Spade is hedging their bets that anyone who loves these actresses will subscribe to the #Missadventure series, regardless of whether or not they're fans of the brand. They're even experimenting with #Missadventure teaser trailers and individual episode lengths to capture an even broader audience.
It's proven to be quite an effective marketing technique in today's world of on-demand entertainment. While feature film product placement is nothing new, the #Missadventure series may find future BMW, Lego, and Red Bull-esque success with the brand-funded movie model.
Check out the first episode of #Missadventure Season 2: